WeWork will open in Decatur’s Callaway development

WeWork will open in Decatur’s Callaway development

The Callaway building redevelopment in Decatur will be home to a new WeWork coworking space.

WeWork, which intends to become a publicly traded company, has leased 35,000 square feet of office space in the mixed-use development, which will be located at 120 W. Trinity Place.

“The building is being constructed on a 4.7-acre site once owned by DeKalb County but acquired by the Decatur Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in 2013 with hopes of redeveloping the location,” a press release from the company says. “Atlanta-based developer Cousins Properties purchased the property from the DDA in 2016 and began construction on a mixed-use development that will offer 329 housing units, 18,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a parking deck and the four-story building. Construction is underway and expected to be completed in the first half of 2020.”

There will be enough space for 540 members at WeWork in Decatur.

“WeWork is excited to officially plant its roots in Decatur, a city full of history and character that we’ve been eyeing for some time now,” WeWork Southeast General Manager Bobby Condon said in a press release. “WeWork 120 W. Trinity Place will be centrally located in downtown Decatur where our members can take advantage of walkability, public transit and an excellent quality of life in the ultimate live-work-play environment. By offering our space-as-a-service approach to the workforce of Decatur and those looking to do business there, WeWork is able to provide companies of all sizes with the flexible space, community and resources to help them grow and scale their business.”

Mayor Patti Garrett said in the press release that WeWork is a welcome addition to the city’s downtown business district.

“We welcome the announcement that WeWork is leasing the entire office building at the Callaway development site in downtown Decatur,” Garrett said. “The City of Decatur has always been supportive of smaller, creative businesses that are entrepreneur-driven, so combining this new building with the announcement by WeWork brings much needed office space and an expanded environment for 21st century businesses in our downtown district.”

Here is the full press release announcing the opening of the new WeWork office:

The City of Decatur announced that WeWork, the coworking office space provider, has leased 35,000 square feet of office space in downtown Decatur, marking the city’s latest success in attracting companies and coming shortly after the launch of a new economic development campaign.

WeWork will occupy all of the three floors of office space at 120 W. Trinity Place in downtown Decatur and will be able to provide workspace for more than 540 members. The building is being constructed on a 4.7-acre site once owned by DeKalb County but acquired by the Decatur Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in 2013 with hopes of redeveloping the location.

Atlanta-based developer Cousins Properties purchased the property from the DDA in 2016 and began construction on a mixed-use development that will offer 329 housing units, 18,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a parking deck and the four-story building. Construction is underway and expected to be completed in the first half of 2020.

“We welcome the announcement that WeWork is leasing the entire office building at the Callaway development site in downtown Decatur,” said Decatur mayor Patti Garrett. “The City of Decatur has always been supportive of smaller, creative businesses that are entrepreneur-driven, so combining this new building with the announcement by WeWork brings much needed office space and an expanded environment for 21st century businesses in our downtown district.”

“WeWork is excited to officially plant its roots in Decatur, a city full of history and character that we’ve been eyeing for some time now,” said WeWork Southeast General Manager Bobby Condon. “WeWork 120 W. Trinity Place will be centrally located in downtown Decatur where our members can take advantage of walkability, public transit and an excellent quality of life in the ultimate live-work-play environment. By offering our space-as-a-service approach to the workforce of Decatur and those looking to do business there, WeWork is able to provide companies of all sizes with the flexible space, community and resources to help them grow and scale their business.”

The announcement comes as Decatur, long known as one of metro Atlanta’s premier cities in terms of housing, schools and entertainment, looks to enhance its image as a place for companies to come and grow. The city and DDA recently launched an economic development campaign to promote Decatur as an employment center of choice for businesses seeking office space, hiring branding agency Son and Sons and public relations firm The Wilbert Group to assist in that effort.

With this deal, WeWork will have more than 800,000 square feet of community space throughout metro Atlanta. With 2 million square feet of office space, Decatur touts its competitive advantages as a walkable, transit-friendly community with a distinct local flair and access to a highly educated workforce. Decatur is looking to recruit a new generation of businesses that is drawn to Decatur’s ethos and complements the city’s purpose-inspired doers, makers and disruptors.

“We have the luxury of building and launching this campaign when the Decatur market is strong and the economy is growing,” Chris Sciarrone, Decatur DDA Chair. “Decatur has so much to offer companies seeking office space, with over 1.5 million square feet of commercial office space, a vibrant business district with over 100 retail and restaurant businesses, 600 downtown condominiums, and over 600 recently completed residential rental units all within walking distance of the Decatur MARTA station.”

The campaign comes with a new DDA logo that builds on the genuine personality and familiarity of the city’s long-time logo – a home, school and house of worship in primary colors. New messaging, which will be seen soon on ads, banners and in other public spaces, reinforces why Decatur is ideally suited for businesses seeking new office space and includes “A Great Place to Grow Your Business,” “Business is Greater in Decatur” and “Let’s Get Down to Business.”

About the City of Decatur

The City of Decatur, located just east of Atlanta and home to 23,000 people, is characterized by world class big-city business assets, progressive attitudes, highly educated people, an accessible government and superb quality of life for those who live and/or work here. The city was recently listed as the 2018 Best Neighborhood in Atlanta by Creative Loafing. Decatur already is home to Emory Health Care, Agnes Scott College, Columbia Seminary, the Task Force for Global Health and a vibrant mix of small, local professional firms. Because Decatur is surrounded by exceptional and well-regarded academic institutions, it benefits from a pipeline of talent; 82,000 students are within a 20-minute drive of downtown Decatur.

About the Decatur Downtown Development Authority

The Decatur Downtown Development Authority (DDA) was founded in 1982 to implement the Decatur Town Center Plan and to provide day-to-day management of the downtown development program. Since that time, our role has expanded to include responsibility for all of Decatur’s commercial districts. The Downtown Development Authority works with the traditional, downtown business district and the Development Authority has jurisdiction over the neighborhood districts. Both Authorities share a board and staff and exist to provide assistance to prospective business owners and developers interested in investing in Decatur’s economic development plans. These programs are housed within the City’s Community & Economic Development Department.

About WeWork

Founded by Adam and Rebekah Neumann and Miguel McKelvey in 2010, The We Company comprises three distinct business lines: WeWork, WeLive, and WeGrow. WeWork is a global platform with more than 466,000 members and provides innovative workplace solutions for any type of member organization, regardless of company size, maturity, or space needs. WeWork’s mission is to create a world where people work to make a life, not just a living. WeWork currently has 485 locations in 105 cities across 28 countries, and its members include over one-third of the Global Fortune 500. For additional information, please visit www.we.co.